Slurry pump



` June 16, 1959 o. HAENTJENs Erm.

SLURRY PUMP Filed May 2v,- 1955 lll'l S M .o5 WMZ; @mf mmvm A. r Mw? 2 Mm, m f

United States Patent C SLURRY PUlVIP Otto Haentjens, Hazleton, and Walter D. Haentjens, Sugarloaf, Pa.

Application May 27, 1955, Serial No. 511,651

7 Claims. (Cl. 10S-102) This invention relates to liquid pumps, especially to pumps particularly adapted for pumping a slurry or mixture of Water or some chemical with solids, usually heavier than the suspension liquid, and wherein the slurry is to be circulated during the operation of a fuel or ore cleaning process, or of a chemical process, or other action.

In operations of this type, the pump is used to circulate a heavy liquid mixture which has a large percentage of solids therein and with the ptunped liquid ultimately flowing back to a storage sump. This slurry may, for example, be required in a chemical or coal or ore cleaning process that is not continuously operated. When the process is shut down, the solids in the slurry settle rapidly and would quickly pack around the pump and block the inlet thereof if the pump is not protected in some manner, or moved from the storage tank. Usually the pump is lifted up out of the slurry. Normally these slurries include relatively clear liquids that accumulate at the top of the stored volume of the slurry so that when it is desired to start the process in operation, the pump is lowered into the clear liquid which ows through the suction inlet of the pump when pumping action is started. The pump develops its full pressure immediately upon starting.

In similar processes, where conventional pumps are used, it is necessary to provide some special agitating means in the storage tanks so that in the starting operation of the apparatus, the settled solids can be mixed with the suspension liquid to provide a substantially uniform consistency slurry that will pass through the pump and be properly forced through the apparatus in which such slurry is to be used. Without such agitation, the settled solids cannot be pumped.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved type of a pump for a slurry where the pump is especially adapted for use in starting to pump a slurry having a heavy solid content and to agitate settled solids directly by the pump when pumping action is started.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel type of a pump easily adapted for being moved vertically a desired distance and which has guides provided to control the position of the pump during any movement given thereto.

A further object of the invention is to use a small portion of the output of a pump to agitate material for flo/W into the pump for pumping action.

Another object of the invention is to provide a top inlet suction pump with a hood for being positioned thereover to direct agitated liquids from the lower side of the pump into the top inlet in the pump.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide drain means in a pump for effectively and completely draining the pump when lifted from a liquid in which it has been operating.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be made more apparent as the specification proceeds. Y

kvFor a better understanding of thev principles of the ice invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is an elevation, partially broken away and shown in vertical section, of a pump embodying the principles of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section to the hood means of the pump with the impeller and casing therefor being shown in elevation; and A Fig. 3 is a reduced scale section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. l.

This invention is an improvement upon the type of a pump disclosed in our earlier United States Letters Patent No. 2,625,110 entitled Pump for Vertical Movement of Liquids.

Reference now is made to the details of the accompanying drawings, and a pump assembly is shown and indicated as a whole by the numeral 1. This pump assembly 1 is supported by a pair of discharge pipes or tubes 2 and 3 and with the pump assembly 1 being of the twin discharge type adapted for pumping liquids upwardly vertically through the discharge tubes 2 and 3. These tubes connect to a common outlet pipe 4 provided on an upper portion of the apparatus with which the pump assembly is used. The outer portion of the apparatus may include a top plate 5 to which the discharge tubes 2 and 3 are suitably secured through a discharge head 6. Normally a drive motor 7 for the pump assembly 1 is positioned directly on the top plate 5 by sup.- port brackets 8 and a drive shaft 9 extends verticallyV of the apparatus down to and connects to the pump assembly 1 for driving the impeller therein. Y v Y Fig. 3 of the drawings shows that the top plate 5 may have recesses 10 provided at opposite corners thereof which recesses engage snugly with verticallyextending guide pipes or tubes 11 that extend the depth of a sump 12. Hence when a crane or other hoist means are engaged with eyes 13 secured to the top plate 5, the entire pump assembly, including discharge tubes 2 and 3, a discharge head 6 and other parts of the apparatus can be lifted as a unit vertically and be moved to and from association with the storage tank or sump 12 into which the pump assembly 1 normally extends. However, when the apparatus with which the pump assembly is used is disconnected, or inoperative for any reason, then the entire pump assembly and associated means can be raised vertically from the sump so that the slurry will not clog the pump assembly 1 when solid material in the liquid slurry in the sump would settle. Normally a length of rubber discharge hose is connected to the pump discharge flange 4. Thus the pump can be raised or lowered without disconnecting the discharge piping. t

j `Itv will be observed that thepump assembly 1 of the invention comprises a top inlet pump and a pump casing or housing 14 is shown that has a top inlet 15 therein and an upper side 14a and a lower side 14b. Fig. l of the drawings best shows that an impeller 16 for the pump is positioned within the casing 14 by the drive shaft 9. The pump impeller 16 smoothly seats on and seals the inlet 15 so that all liquid passing into the casing must oW through the impeller 16. Suitable centrifugal pumpingl vanes 17 are provided at radially spaced portions of the impeller 16 for forcing liquid through the pump casing 14 and out through conventional outlet means (not shown) provided therefor up to and through the discharge tubes 2 and 3 for flow from the apparatus.

Yet a further important feature of the invention isy These nozzles 18 are adapted to discharge accumulating in the lower portion of the sump 13. Hence Y a pump can be started when in an elevated position with relation to that shown in Fig. 1 and then be gradually lowered downwardly into the bottom of the sump as the solid material accumulated `therein is gradually agitated and brought up into the remainder of the mixture by discharge of the liquid jets from the nozzles 18. Fig. l of the drawing shows that the nozzles 18 are of small cross ysection in relation to the cross section of the discharge pipes 2 and 3 so that only a small portion of the output of the pump would ow therethrough.

In order to aid the pump assembly 1 in pumping slurry material with a heavy percentage of solids contained therein, the pump assembly 1 may be provided with suitable hood means 19 which is downwardly directed and which is shown secured to flanges 20 provided on lower end portions of the discharge tubes 2 and 3. The hood 19 encloses the top and upper side portions of the pump casing 14 but is spaced therefrom. The drawings clearly show that some suitable screen plate 21 is provided in association with the pump assembly 1 adjacent the inlet provided therefor.

This hood 19 is especially valuable due to the cooperation therewith of the nozzles 18 in agitating solids accumulating below the pump. The pump therefore draws liquid from the bottom of the sump and pumps a desired high percentage of solids mixture at all times, after being started.

It will be noted that the nozzles 18 are provided in the lower side of the pump casing 14 and that, as the entire pump assembly 1 is raised from the slurry, these nozzles 18 are at the lowest part of the apparatus and will eectively permit the discharge tubes 2 and 3 to be drained completely together with the casing 14. Preferably the hood means 19 are provided with suitable recesses or are indented properly so that the guides 11 can extend therethrough.

From the foregoing, it is seen that a pump has been provided that is eiective for pumping liquids having a large percentage of solids therein, that the pump is self agitating for accumulated solids, and that the pump can easily be moved vertically with relation to the pump Sump so that the objects of the invention are achieved.

While one complete embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein, it will be appreciated that modification of this particular embodiment of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A pump comprising a casing having vertically opposite upper and lower side portions, a casing ring secured to said upper side of said casing and providing an inlet therefor, an impeller in said casing adjacent to said casing ring to receive input uid therefrom, shaft means for positioning said impeller in said casing, annular downwardly open hood means positioned to enclose only said upper side portion of said casing and the top of said casing but being spaced with relation thereto, and axially directed nozzle means positioned in said lower side portion of said casing and connected to a pressure zone therein for directing streams of liquid therefrom in a direction extending away from said hood means to agitate fluid therebelow to prepare it for pumping action.

2. A pump comprising a casing having opposed upper and lower side portions and a top inlet, an impeller in said casing, vertical shaft means secured to and positioning said impeller in said casing, a top plate, discharge tubes connected to said top plate and supporting said casing to provide a unit therewith, downwardly open annular hood means positioned to enclose the upper and side portions of said casing and extend downwardly therefrom, guide means engaging said top plate and hood means to limit and control movement of said unit, and nozzle means positioned in said lower side portion of said casing and connected to a pressure zone therein for directing streams of uid downwardly therefrom in a 76 direction extending away from said hood means whereby uid below said casing is agitated by uid ejected from said nozzle means and sucked up into said casing because said hood means prevents direct ow of liquid above said casing to said top inlet.

3. In a centrifugal pump for vertical movement of liquid, a casing having a top inlet and at least one outlet, an impeller positioned in said casing for rotation in a horizontal plane, a driven vertically positioned shaft having said impeller secured thereto, a downwardly directed nozzle carried by said casing and connecting to the pump discharge pressure in the interior thereof for discharging liquid from said casing to agitate any material therebelow, and downwardly directed conical hood means of downwardly increasing diameter positioned over only the top and upper side portions of said casing and spaced therefrom to aid agitated liquid below said casing in being drawn up into said casing on rotation of said impeller.

4. In a centrifugal pump for vertical movement of liquid, a casing having a top inlet and an upwardly d1'- rected outlet, an impeller positioned in said casing for rotation in a horizontal plane, a vertically extending shaft positioned in and extending above said casing, drive means secured to an upper portion of said shaft, said casing, shaft and drive means being movable vertically as a pump unit, a downward directed nozzle carried by said casing and connecting to the pump discharge pressure in the interior thereof for discharging liquid from said casing to agitate any material therebelow and prepare it for pump action, and downwardly directed annular hood means positioned over only and spaced from the top and upper side portions of said casing to direct liquid from adjacent the lower part of said casing to said top inlet whereby the pump unit can be gradually lowered into a liquid slurry and primarily draw only agitated material thereinto.

5. In a submersible, vertically movable centrifugal pump for vertical movement of liquid, a casing having a top inlet and at least one outlet, a pair of vertically positioned discharge pipes connected to said casing outlet and extending upwardly from said casing to support said casing, an impeller positioned in said casing for rotation in a horizontal plane, a driven vertically positioned shaft having said impeller secured thereto and supported thereby, a downwardly directed nozzle carried by said casing and connecting to the pump discharge pressure in the interior thereof for discharging a small portion of the output of the pump as a dovmwardly directed stream to agitate any material therebelow, and downwardly directed conical hood means of downwardly increasing diameter positioned over only the top and upper side portions of said casing and spaced therefrom to aid agitated liquid below said casing in being drawn up into said casing on rotation of said inpeller, said hood means being carried by said discharge pipes to move as a unit with said casing and discharge pipes with any vertical movement of said discharge pipes to change the position of said casing.

6. In a submersible, vertically movable centrifugal pump for vertical movement of liquid, a casing having a top inlet and at least one outlet, a pair of discharge pipes connected to said casing outlet and extending upwardly from said casing to support said casing, an impeller positioned in said casing for rotation in a horizontal plane, a driven vertically positioned shaft having said impeller secured thereto, a plurality of vertically downwardly directed nozzles carried by and extending through said casing to connect to the pump discharge pressure in the interior thereof for discharging a small portion of the output of the pump as downwardly directed streams to agitate any material therebelow, and downwardly directed conical hood means of downwardly increasing diameter positioned over only the top and upper side portions of said casing and spaced therefrom to aid agitated pipes connected to said casing outlet and extending up- 10 wardly from said casing to support said casing, an impeller positioned in said casing for rotation in a horizontal plane, a driven vertically positioned shaft having said impeller secured thereto, a plurality of downwardly directed nozzles carried by and extending through said casing to connect to the pump discharge pressure in the interior thereof for discharging a small portion of the output of the pump as downwardly directed streams to agitate any material therebelow, downwardly directed conical hood means of downwardly increasing diameter positioned over only the top and upper side portions of said casing and spaced therefrom to air agitated liquid below said casing in being drawn up into said casing on rotation of said impeller, said hood means being carried 6 t by said discharge pipes, said nozzles being in the lowest portion of said casing to function as drains when said casing is lifted above liquid in which it has been immersed, and vertically extending guide means engaging said hood means to control movement of said casing and associated members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 829,017 Jordan Aug. 21, 1906 1,413,911 Gull Apr. 25, 1922 1,734,747 Seeley Nov. 5, 1929 1,738,898 Head Dec. 10, 1929 15 1,754,992 Fabrin Apr. 15, 1930 1,767,535 Lannert et al June 24, 1930 1,891,201 Ho Dec. 13, 1932 2,006,727 Ardrey July 2, 1935 2,018,700 Blau Oct. 29, 1935 20 2,504,140 Mill Apr. 18, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 424,556 Great Britain Feb. 22, 1935 515,082 Germany Dec. 29, 1930 

